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In my shop, I do list "AI tools were used to assist with creation and/or editing of the image" for the art on my shop. I don't put it in if it is just used for adding elements to a tshirt. But when I am selling it as a canvas to hang as art, I say so in the description.

I had a shop back in 2007. All handmade, then. All of a sudden everything is from China, then all of a sudden everyone is POD, so it’s just a progression. What do shoppers want and what are they willing to pay for it? Isn’t that the ultimate question?

People get mad I use a laser to do my designs- I can come up with my own designs, but sorry I dont have the hand strength to do the wood burning myself. I had a renaissance clothing business on etsy from 2008 until 2016. Things change, people want different things. The rampant resellers from china are a much bigger issue.

They do need a better algorithm. I hate that if I search for a floral shirt, I see a PNG for a floral design listed in 5th place on the first page. I should only see shirt listings

The stuff from China makes me mad.

I am a photographer and I evolved from film to digital; I have almost 50 years of experience in the field. Many would say that digital photography is not real photography; no it's a different type of photography (the medium is different), but still photography. We hear the term "photoshopped" like it is sort of a crime. All digital photos are "photoshopped" (or lightroomed if you want). Just the act of importing the photo from the camera to the computer, doing a basic color correction (or maybe just applying a color profile that in the RAW file is not applied), and exporting it as JPEG file, is the very definition of photoshopping. Then you can completely change the meaning/mood of the photo and that is a more processed photo. Photoshop can even create missing parts of a photo; think of creating furniture in an empty room in real estate photography; in this case MLS systems require a disclaimer. AI Art is still Art in my opinion, although created with a different instrument. It's just a different type of art and it is here to stay, like computers and the Internet are here to stay. If I had AI Art on sale on Etsy (or elsewhere) I would make clear that it is AI Art for ethical reasons. But I would like also to know that a certain item is made in China, therefore being able to decide if buy it or not. It's all about customers' awareness. Or we can go back to pens and notepads instead of word processors, film photography, and accounting made by hand on those old paper ledgers. PS By the way the same can be said for POD. I would never offer a portrait to a customer using a POD. Why? Because the photo is crafted specifically for a certain media, high-quality professional lab and I can sell only one item (maybe a few more). For this, I have to charge north of $600. But I can create a poster on canvas, having it delivered through POD for maybe $50-60 each iteration and I need to sell at least 20 items in order to make the same profit

From what I’ve seen as well, current AI mainstream offerings, are slowly getting away from naming artists and IP in art prompts as well. Definitely a work in progress. I use AI, but I do so much editing and add elements to get what I want. Definitely a graphic design tool. I rarely if at all have a perfect AI generated image for my projects.

Good AI designs take a skill to create the prompts and create the art that is attractive.

I'm for the ethical use of AI as part of a design and acknowledged in a description. Also, it's a good idea to do a Google image search to make sure the AI image is unique and not scraped off a copywritten or trademarked work.

Ultimately, the market will determine what happens, just like any other business. If consumers don't care and want to purchase AI art, it will be allowed. At most, they may require disclosing AI assistance in a listing, but I highly doubt there will be an outright ban. We can take a hint from the continued existence of cheap drop-shipped junk and the Nike/Taylor Swift/Disney rip-offs. It would be extremely simple for Etsy to identify those items and shops and shut them down if it were a priority. I foresee, a new platform arising for genuinely handmade goods. Etsy has already indicated they are no longer committed to that purpose leaving an opportunity for another venture to rise.

I'm convinced that this article might be overlooking the broader perspective of the Etsy community. It's essential to understand that a significant portion of Etsy shoppers prioritize the personal connection and the unique appeal of the designs and artwork they purchase. The origin of the art, whether AI-generated or not, often takes a backseat to the emotional resonance and the fit of the piece with their individual style. While it's true that there exists a niche segment of customers who value traditional craftsmanship and may shy away from AI-generated pieces, they represent a relatively small fraction of the overall market. Embracing the diverse preferences of Etsy's vibrant community means recognizing the value they place on art that speaks to them, transcending the method of its creation.

As a traditional (and somewhat digital) artist I of course have a pretty heavy bias against AI art in general. I gave it a shot myself as well before forming my full opinions on it though. However, I don't think outright banning its use will do anyone any good. I think some form of filtering or tagging system to let customers know "this is handmade, this is AI, this is POD" etc would be an amazing feature. Sometimes people do want to only see handmade stuff, and there's no way to filter for that right now which is very frustrating as that's a big part of Etsy's selling point. Let the POD an AI stay, but have it filterable for those that want to avoid it. I agree that the bigger, much more annoying problem is the drop shipped crap from AliExpress and the like that people try to get away with, as well as the copyright breaking stuff. Getting rid of that I believe is much more important for Etsy at the moment than worrying about AI art.

I recently opened an Etsy shop and I only had three items for sale, a mug, a tumbler and a t-shirt. All of my items were labeled that I was using POD (Printify) and that I created the images with help from AI. My shop was suspended and was told I could file an appeal. I did and within a day I received an email saying my shop was unable to remain open and they would not accept any more requests to discuss why the shop was suspended. I can only assume it was due to the AI and POD but Etsy would not give me a reason the shop was suspended. There are many other shops out there that are breaking Etsy and Trademark rules that are still up and running so I am confused why my shop was targeted. This seems like bad business practice, and I will no longer support Etsy in any way. I'll shop on Amazon before ever looking on Etsy again and I am advising all my friends and family to do the same.

I think that all art, no matter how it is made is based on the artist's inspiration from all things around them, even other artwork. AI is just another tool to use in a graphic designer's tool box to create parts of a design. Seriously, how many people creating art with AI are just asking it to re-create an image? They are taking their own inspirations and putting them into words and then the AI program is creating what it thinks they are looking for. I am good with Etsy creating a setting that tells the buyer that AI was used. That actually might help buyers find your designs faster because people are searching for AI designs, clipart, and prompts, etc.

Oh well, back to the oil paints and charcoal.

They should separate POD from handmand and add a disclaimer for use of AI. And yes the trademarked items are completely out of hand.

We'd love to have the link to the article....

You could also argue that a similar issue is using elements or clipart from a place like canva or kettle the designer isn't drawing those all by hand but technically you are allowed to use them I feel like it's very similar

Hey, I just wanted to give you some feedback since you are so dedicated to this subject and I believe you’re honest. My husband opened an Etsy shop three days ago. We did absolutely everything perfect by the new rules, and he placed his first order to order some samples and maybe we ordered it wrong, but he placed it as a guest thinking that was the right thing to do so we could actually test how the product comes in which you would think is good business sense, and they did not process the payment And instead suspended our store and we literally only had six products in there. We had already filled out all the paperwork done everything we were supposed to do verified identity all of that crap and they already suspended us in three days so I just I don’t know what to think. I’m just furious and I thought you ought to know there’s another one of us you can add to the list of people who got shut down for absolutely no reason, unless it was because we were supposed to order a sample through printer, but we were testing our store by ordering as a guest through our storefront to see how the process works because we’ve never done this before I mean that’s just common sense. Anyway… I ain’t going back.

Oh no! I'm just getting started. But I spend dayssss on a design creation. It's so much work. What if we use a cricut with AI tools/canva

I do not worry. If they close Etsy for AI someone will open a platform where AI is welcome. It will work itself out.

Imagine if they banned AI art they would lose so much from listing fees.

I'm for both. I would love to cross over to handmade stuff that I can financially sustain, such as cricut heat transfer mugs. However, I am not trying to struggle and invest tons of money to slow down my revenue progress for the sake of saying I made it with my bare hands. I am an artist, but I don't have to get my hands dirty in a literal sense. Great and uniquely crafted ai art is just as difficult as any other trade imo. That is if you are truly passionate about it.

That would be super regressive. People who cry about AI just don't wanna learn to use it.

So someone who buys a finished shirt. Puts it in a heat press with a design they ordered from online. That's considered "handmade" because they pressed it. But me designing my own images and having someone else print them isn't. Etsy just needs rebrand as a unique marketplace like they were doing. Add more details for the "handmade, and handmade with assistance" selections. Like "designed the item but created elsewhere", "made item from start to finish", "finished with premade products" or something like this.

AI assisted would be OK since rendering images is not easy for many sellers but where do you draw the line?

I use AI as a tool, from the other comments in the thread I see others do too. I think that it is perfectly fine to have it in your arsenal. I will do things in Illustrator, Photoshop, Canva, and an AI like Dalle or Stable and mix it all up. I also acknowledge it is used as a tool. I would have no problem if Etsy asked us to have a section to list the tools we used. Kind of like requirement of listing your production partners. I wouldn't want a filter though, because buyers may not understand people using AI as a tool, and would put the filter on and we'd get left out of searches.

People can go cry me a river for all I care. Etsy could just separate it into categories, like you said. And be done with it.

As for the concerns of AI art. Imagine the paradox of photography in 1839 and its impact on traditional art forms. This invention by Louis Daguerre, this new technology, marked a revolutionary shift in the realm of art, including portraiture. Initially, I would believe traditional portrait artists might have viewed this new technology with skepticism, concern, and as unfair competition; exclaiming that the camera, rather than the photographer, was doing all the work. Their sentiment could be made in the argument that photography was less an art form and more of a mechanical process, which would undermine the skill and creativity associated with more traditional artists. However, the essence of progress is innovation and adaptation. Just as some of those early portrait artists realized, they had to evolve with the times, and embrace the camera as a tool for their art. So too, do we stand at a similar crossroads with the emergence of AI art. The comparison between photography, a now fully accepted art form, and AI art is essentially the same. Both mediums require a vision, of clear intent from the artist, whether it's framing the perfect shot through a lens, or crafting the perfect prompt for an AI. The process is very comparable, often demanding multiple attempts to capture the image as the creator envisions. The camera is operated by the photographer's vision and direction; the AI is guided through the art creator's vision and direction, through carefully chosen words. AI art, much like photography, is a process of the artist's vision and technological capability. It involves not just the initial generation but often post processing, where a creator/artist can refine the image, adjusting and altering it with digital tools, and/or traditional means using multimedia (pencils, brushes, paint, ink) to match their mental image precisely. This blending of AI generation and manual refinements, culminate in a piece of multimedia art that is as much a product of human creativity, effort, and intelligence as any traditional painting or photograph. IMO, the creation of art, whether through the brush, lens of a camera, or the algorithms of an AI, is a human creation. It involves invention, vision, creativity, frustration, and satisfaction. It demonstrates the evolution and fusion of technology and art. Ultimately, in the end, it is the artist's imagination and vision that breathes life into the work.

I think the problem is that AI has made the barrier to entry so low that just anyone can create pod designs and it creates a lot of garbage to muddy the waters. I have a degree in graphic design with 20 years experience. Being a “good designer” does not equal sales! It helps! But is not required. I would bet that MOST successful pod sellers have no design background. It’s market research, trend research and knowing your customer. If one AI listing is making $10,000/month, I have no problem with that. This person probably did their research and knows what they are doing. I don’t believe there are many listings making a fortune off luck or no effort. It’s the millions of shops listing ai crap that never sells that bothers me most.

Categories are definitely the way to go. Handmade means something but a funny AI generated picture of whatever doesn't need high end price tag.

AI is a form of art. Is it “hand made”❓ No. But is is “mind art”. It’s innovative.

I use some AI elements in my design but I altar and modify it to be 90% original but if I have to stop using it, I’ll take one for the team.

Not a fan for mockups but maybe for some art.

I do use a AI as a tool in my designs but I try to remember to say that in my description. I believe you're actually supposed when you use certain apps. like I believe I use Wombo Dream and they say that you need to mention that you use them to sell the art. I think transparency is really important but I don't think it should be banned.

As IF etsy will implement any filter or watermark, or anything that in any way would limit or restrict their potential income! I figure they'll dump it and say you have to identify if its AI to sellers. And then not enforce it.

It's a complex issue indeed. The balance between preserving handmade craftsmanship and adapting to new technological capabilities like AI-generated designs is delicate. Ensuring fairness and maintaining the integrity of the platform while also fostering innovation and growth is crucial.

According to the terms of service on Canva you have to declare the art is AI in your listing of it.

Chris said it right, it shouldn't matter if it's created by AI. Etsy should be more focused on people using copyrighted and trademarked sellers, of which there are plenty. Also, aren't they still getting paid from every listing that's put up?

Perhaps a disclosure statement somewhere in the listing stating that AI was used to assist in making the artwork. Doesn't seem like AI is going away. If the artist wants to use it as a tool, fine. Let the buyer decide whether they want to purchase it or not.

Etsy should clean up the low effort AI, yes. But at the same time, Etsy should purge the copyright infringers,the dropshippers,the people who slap unchanged Creative Fabrica images on a POD product (most of which are AI now),the people who are just reselling templates,etc. That would mean they acknowledge that they let this happen for so long. Etsy needs to have a “Certified Handmade” badge. Where an Etsy staff team or the community based on sales, can let others know that the products from a store are definitely handmade. The cream will rise to the top. This will also incentivize sellers to be open and disclose what tools or methods go into making their products. This filter would also help sellers find products that suit a more specific definition of handmade. And to play the devil’s advocate: Would they also refund the listing fees of the rule breakers if this were to happen suddenly? What does everyone think?

If you have a t-shirt design that includes a vector with text the vector made by ai usually looks just like a SVG design from creative fabrica or dare I say... Etsy. Etsy makes money twice, Ie from the seller buying a vector and then from the seller selling a t-shirt

If the buyer thinks it's art, then it's art.

Just make a different category or most sellers will go elsewhere to sell. Graphic design has always been a form of art, just not "fine art/handmade". Ai will just get better at imitating the human hand.

here is what i don't understand why not just label it A.I. created etc I would and a friend of mine who sales digital prints will tell the customer that it is generated by A.I. with human input

impossible for them to detect

I make AI draw things that I could have done by hand. I don't see why I should use a slower method to create things.

Personally I do the finished art by hand, but use AI heavily to prototype ideas, I know many others do this too. So if they do go ahead with this idiotic idea, where do we fall?

make an AI category

That's a bit of Ironic coming from Etsy. Now they promote their AI tool when searching for gifts on their platform and are debating whether to potentially filter/ban the use of AI from Sellers/Designers... really? AI is not going anywhere, is the new milestone in technology as it was the boom of the internet in the 90s and the mobile phone in the 2000s. You better start learning how to use it now so you can be up to date with the always-changing user demands.

Well, I have suggested to them a while ago that they need to separate designs from actual products! If someone is looking for a t-shirt with a certain design then the shirt should be shown not every possible thing with that kind of design. Right now if someone searches for St. Patrick's Day t-shirt they get everything with St. Patrick's day on it and customers hate that and leave to Amazon.

I actually see arguments for both sides. But I think people who want to a tee shirt aren't going to care if it's AI. They just want a cool looking tee shirt. Having said that, if it's another category like art on canvas, I think it should be mentioned in the description that it's AI. It waters down the talent of the artists that are selling who are talented and should be paid for their creativity and time. An AI tee shirt doesn't have the same merit as a hand painted portrait.

Maybe AI images are more beneficial as a graphic design tool or asset. I find it less impressive to pass it of as a piece of ‘fine art’ that the text generator wants to take the credit as the ‘painter’. It’s a tool that can be used by a designer and it is not going away. Labeling as an image created with computer generation is a good thing.

I can’t draw a straight line - I am loving using AI. I see and am using AI for POD. If I put the idea in AI - isn’t that work mine?

I think AI is good for those sellers that want to use it and those looking to buy it. Etsy just needs to find a way to make both sides happy, because it’s adapted and improved or get out of the business.

I think handmade with AI assistance is the perfect answer for both buyers and sellers.

I don't think you guys have understood this part yet: anything that makes money for Etsy will be left untouched.

Isn't the Internet a public space making any data uploaded by anyone open to the public? That may be a reason why the AI can collect and use that data, and if that's edited by AI, which always is, then it's sort of a compliant, I might say.

I do think that AI art is here to stay, no matter how much people may complain about it. The same with AI art on Etsy, I don't think Etsy will ban it, maybe make it a separate category. I don't feel that AI art, without human editing, should be considered handmade. It's like reselling clipart as-is that was bought off Creative Fabrica. I sell AI art on Etsy, but I edit the images, add other art to the images, etc., to create something different. I just use AI to create part of the artwork, that I don't have the capability to create. I feel that my art is different enough from the original AI art to be considered handmade.

etsy would be nuts to stop allowing AI imagery or designs, as it advances, there will be some powerful designs

I am for AI created products. Most are pod products which are different from actual handmade products. The only place I feel it really overlaps is in wall art off the top of my head. But ultimately I believe the customer should have the freedom to choose if they want to purchase a handmade product vs AI. I’m fine with labeling.m and think that’s best practice. Some people will prefer handmade and some don’t care. In the end I think it will make it more profitable for unique hand made products because AI products will become a dime a dozen.

1:42 uhhh no it's not

Most ai stuff has certain look. The colors are to vibrant or off. Most people like realistic looking stuff. But I think AI style has a certain look and style that some people like. I don’t think the buyers really conflict. AI has so much errors that it needs to be edited. If a seller just slaps ai up for sale without any editing it will look bad and they won’t sell and receive bad reviews. So I think just let the buyers and sellers decide. Bad ai products will go out of business and only the best will survive. Same as people with handmade products that nobody wants vs something of quality and popularity.

It's another way to devalue the artists. Why hire an illustrator/artist when you can get AI to do it? I get using computers to add text, etc to designs. That's been going on forever. For fun, I recently asked AI to create a very specific image. It failed. But it does bug me when people are selling custom portraits for $10, $30, etc. and their turn around time is unbelievably fast. But they are "custom" and not hand-painted. They're obviously using a computer. Portrait artist Daniel Greene would sell his portrait oil paintings for $30K. It's just an unfortunate reality.

Im for it. It’s a tool.

How would you even know it's AI? If you know how to use prompts properly, especially for t-shirt design, or posters, it is very hard to tell the difference.

I use AI almost daily to help create my designs.

Ai is so new and some individuals are selling ai promts that you can copy and paste into ai programs. Copycats can happen and i think what we all as creators need to remember when using these type of promts is to change them up so they are your own and not a copy cat. Also etsy does not want to see a bunch of the same images copycats, that is remember etsy is for creators. So be creative even if you think you are not creative you really are. Make each image your own. What i have seen on etsy is the same words images used over and over again because the creator did not modify the image to make them thier own. This is where etsy needs to crack down. in my own opinion. As to pod. I do think it should be allowed on etsy so long and the artwork on the products are your own works or a derivitive or change image ,modified image that is. used. Bottom line stop copycating somes elses work and create a new image from a old one. Hope this makes sense.

AI is a tool, some people will find it useful others not to much. Photography was vilified when it was invented because it was going to kill artistry. That obviously did not happen, AI is here and we have to adapt. I am not sure how Etsy will adapt.

There are few people who are really good at drawing. Artificial intelligence is a godsend! Why can't I buy AI-generated images, but have to buy hand-drawn ones that I don't like? That's bullshit. Etsy will lose a lot of money if they ban AI) They won’t agree to it

Etsy need to catch themselves on with constantly being the barrier to their own success. So what if it’s Ai generated and the customer loves it and buys it. It’s futile trying to stop these technological advances. I say embrace it and let’s get on with creating.. let’s get on with selling…

most people dont realize their ai generated art is actually trash and they are basically polluting the platform

decent AI art often takes some effort, if that's the issue. otherwise, yes it's a matter of taste... I'd rather get a decent AI image on my wall than a crappy hand-drawn one

Let's be real unless Etsy is legally forced to remove AI for some reason they aren't going to do it randomly. There is too much money in Ai at this point. Also, if people are considering AI art theft than literally everyone who has used any technique, style, etc they have learn from a book, video, college, etc is also theft. That is literally just them mashing already invented and devloped art forms to fit their needs and "creations". There hasn't been a legit new form, style, whatever you want to called it in decades if not centuries. The only thing different between Ai and human art is AI has a much bigger pool of data to pull from to emulate and mix and match from, and of course the speed at which it can be done. People need to stop over romanticizing this. From a consumer perspective, if the end user is happy and likes what they get it should not matter. Also, if you creating art for non-commercial reasons then this entire thing doesn't effect you anyway. People are just salty they might have competition. The only cavaot is there are shitty people out putting out garbage, but then again that's been a thing for almost every avenue, and definitly not just AI, so it's basically a moot point 🤷 To be fair if you are a genuine artist you should be able to integrate this into a work flow and be able to manipulate it in a way non-artist can't making what you create subjectively better and do so at a much quicker pace.

I think it would be great to ban AI mock-ups. Etsy has been inundated with them. Never thought I’d see a day when there would have to be a disclaimer telling someone that an image is real. Some mock-up stores are doing this already and it’s appreciated as actual mock-ups that accurately represent a product are getting harder to find.

100% AI

Ai is a tool, just make it your own by using a combination of Ai and your own design skills.

I cannot believe the talks about AI are so far behind. It’s a new tool, like it or not, and it’s here to stay. I do use it, and have bought plenty of items myself that were not there before AI. Humans have this tendency to hate on the new stuff at first. I agree a filter would help, but a straight up ban would be a massive suicide even for Etsy itself. How about they start banning all the shops infringing copyright, which is thousands and thousands of them. Now that would be something. Do you think it isn’t tempting to imitate those shops that sell Mickey Mouse stuff and pocket tens of thousands a month? Of course it is. But I know that is truly illegal within and outside the platform. Please Etsy, don’t fck this up.

For AI. Just identify.

Seperated?….

For me using AI is just to be like graphig designer. All graphigher are not paint artister! We ”organize” things to gether! Like arkhitects who uses elements (as funitures) to get room ready to show for buyers. Graphig designer puts different kind elements together and voilaa; there is one whole room, house or garden or airplane etc. ready. We ofcourse do not MADE self all funitures and elements we need! How about garden- and house designers?? Do we self do all things we need in that project?? No, we just organisize those to gether to reach in our vision style ART!! We can put even art to the houses walls, do we have to paint those our shelves?? Same is it with AI art! I need some kind of picture to my vision in some place. I use my architecturical TALENT to gather from AI that part what I need. Like I collect funitures to my vision room. Graphic designer are just different kind of artister! Like musicer or food artister etc.

it is just silly to ban AI. First of all. If that would be remotely close to fair please tell everyone to stop using CANVA. AI is a tool like other design tools ( that actual apparel designers use daily) What they should ban is all the non apparel designers selling poor designs just to earn a quick buck. AI will contribute to new and never seen before designs, no copy paste from CANVA. it can't be fun for buyers finding a t-shirt you bought for 45 bucks for 15 bucks with the same "lovely" CANVA design. Most AI designs are close to impossible to rip off and that is a really important point in this argument. I have worked as a retail designer for 18 years and I can tell you one thing...nobody cares who the designer is or what tools was used as long as it is something they want to buy. My personal opinion...If you NEED CANVA to make designs that sell...you do not know what you are doing and need to find something else to make

Just a reminder that the number one shop on Etsy right now is again a Chinese reseller...

AI is a tool. Without a skilled user, you can't get anything worth selling out of it.

POD and AI art is not handmade and should not be on Etsy

My problem with AI is a problem with AI itself. So many artists have had their original hand drawn/painted art used by the AI without the knowledge or consent of the original artist. It is not just AI on Etsy. We just have not worked out how to have AI without infringing on the copyright of the the original artist. Until that is sorted legally. Specifically when is something enough of a derivative to become a new work legally, AI will be problematic.

As someone who has problems making stick people, I'm truly excited about AI assistance. I finally have a tool to get the image that is in my head on paper. Does that mean I'm not an artist?? I have an idea and I have now found a way to get that idea that I created in my head into a medium that I can share. Just a thought.

As an artist of 30 years, I really think that people who don't use AI tools for making art understand that artists actually put a lot more time and effort into making art with AI than those people think. We don't just type in "cute dog" or "pretty flower" and leave it at that! It takes a lot more time, and is far more specific than that in order to get exactly the image we are making.

As a mockup shop owner who does actual photography for their product I would love to see a crackdown. I think AI has a place but it's being abused.

The buyer should be given a choice. Many people feel tricked when they discover something is made using AI. So long as it's clearly disclosed, I think that's fair. A painter wouldn't be ashamed to disclose that they used Trekell brushes. A printmaker wouldn't feel ashamed to disclose that they used oil-based inks. AI usage should always be disclosed, perhaps prominently. Then it's the consumer's choice and that's fair.

This is just ridiculous. If they would completely ban AI art from the platform etsy would loose an enormous amount of money to competitor platforms like amazon and ebay. What i do think would make sense on the Etsy platform is the distinction between handmade, digital and POD products. This would really allow the buyers to find more quickly what they are looking for/ what they want to support. And for all the sellers who are so annoyed by AI art: just highlight on your listing images that the art that is used for your products was painted by yourself. Buyers can then easily decide if its something that is important to support.

I love AI, but, since Etsy is supposed to be a handmade platform, it shouldn’t be allowed. Some people use only AI to type a sentence, then add it to Etsy, it is in no way handmade. They typed a sentence, that is it. To me, that is in no way handmade. The people that do that say that it was made by them, when it wasn’t. Now, if they were doing it on Amazon or somewhere else, so be it, but Etsy is supposed to be handmade. It is no different than drop shipping at that point. Now, if people are using AI just for some of the elements in their designs, and they are working on them, adding a human touch, that is different. However, as far as just taking an AI photo, slapping it on Etsy, that is not really handmade, in any way.

Despite what the AI folks say, they are NOT creating the designs or the art. Writing a prompt is not the same as creating a piece of art. Etsy has become FULL of AI stuff that all looks the same. And Etsy has always stipulated that in order to check "handmade" the item must have either been designed or made by the shop. AI fulfils neither of these criteria. I see a lot of shops clearly selling AI generated art claiming that they are the artists. They are not. I think they should separate out the AI work - for me its a case of transparency. Too many people want the easy path. I don't expect anyone who is devoted to AI to understand this concept, but what brings value to a piece of art - what people connect with - is the ARTIST. No computer in the world can replicate the human connection which is at the heart of true art. Sure - if someone wants to buy a cheap item with computer generated art then that's fine - but let's not confuse that with actual art.

Trafficking like wayfair

is this about the fake AI generated "adult" images of celebrities? Get rid of it all. Etsy is on a very slippery slope right now due to the scammers, infringers, and dropshippers.

Define ART... IMO, anyone can call anything some form of ART... ART surrounds us, whether it is generated by a human or non-human. What are the boundaries? Using "any digital tool" can be considered short cutting, or cheating.... However, products like Photoshop, Illustrator, Gimp, Krita, Procreate, Corel Painter, Autodesk, Affinity... are used all the time. What percentage in use of these tools (1% to 99%) tips the mysterious acceptable boundary? Its not defined, and likely never will be. Art is Art... otherwise, we live in a boring world!

Anyone with a brain can recognize AI. And don’t like the baiting headline. It’s not real until it happens.

I hope all ai sellers on Etsy get banned, they're not doing anything work and are losers.

I totally agree and I've been trying to tell people that those who are against AI art today will be seen in the next few years the same way we see people who said in the 90's "digital art isn't real art!". The complainers are making a lot of noise, but I strongly suspect they are just a vocal minority, and that in reality most people don't care as long as it looks good and inspires them.